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 Tom Yurkin
Tom Yurkin, experience designer at Freeman, attended the School of Industrial Design and Visual Communication Design at Ohio State University, and has also studied design and architecture at the Louvre Museum in Paris as a student of Parsons School of Design. He has created experiential environments for a range of companies, including Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., 3M, and General Electric Co., and has won numerous industry awards for his work. Here, he explains why engagement is an important component of exhibit design.
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In the digital age, it's easy to get caught up in the newest gizmo or gadget. Is new and shiny always the way to go?
I think exhibit design is more about the engagement you create with the audience than it is about the physical structure itself. Gizmos and gadgets are fun, but it's not enough to have the newest whatever in your booth, you need to focus on creating an experience. Very low-tech concepts can work just as well as all the bells and whistles as long as the strategy is thought out and the design is well executed.
OK, so depending on your strategy, low tech can work. But let's say you want to go high tech — what are some of those bells and whistles?
Actually there are some really cool materials on the market right now, including recycled laminates, and various types of resins and acrylics. Beyond materials, there are of course some amazing new products — LED lighting, LED and LCD screens, interactive screens, augmented reality, quick-response codes, radio-frequency identification technology, and amazing apps for smart phones and iPads. All of those things can be used to enhance the exhibit experience for the attendee and foster engagement.
“Engagement” seems to have risen to the top of exhibitors' must-have lists when it comes to exhibit design. What gives?
Simply put, the experience is what makes an exhibit successful. You want to make the most of any exhibiting opportunity. Why do you exhibit? To interact with your customers and prospects. How do you do that? You create an engaging, welcoming environment that facilitates communication. It seems like common sense, right? Too often though, that goal — fostering communication — gets lost in the shuffle, especially when exhibits are “designed by committee.” If there are too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak, the design gets splintered and loses focus. Exhibiting isn't about filling a booth with products and talking at attendees as they walk past. It's about creating a forum for communication and interaction.
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Additional
Interviews
Errol Ahearn
Global Experience Specialists Inc.
Eli B'sheart
EWI Worldwide
Jeff Bartle
3D Exhibits Inc.
Deanna Kuhlmann-Leavitt
Kuhlmann Leavitt Inc.
Mark Pearlman
Group Delphi
Gino Pellegrini
InterGlobal Exhibits
Saul Stokes
MC²
Steve Cook
Pinnacle Exhibits
Jerry Firbank
Pico Concept Ltd.
Nico Ueberholz
Ueberholz GmbH
Rob Majerowski
MG Design Associates Corp.
Tom Yurkin
Freeman
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